Made of Great

Since the beginning of time , knowingly or unknowingly man has been seeking greatness all his life. We reached for the stars, walked on the moon,climbed Mount Everest, cured diseases, made massive technological advances and built great nations. We aspired for intelligence, the word impossible never seemed to bother us, but rather only aspired us to do far greater things. We have idolized and revered the great men who made it seemingly possible

Greatness is not a quality one merely flaunts or born with. A culmination of every single atom of skill left in oneself with the combined force of determination to succeed results in true greatness. A passion towards the art that can almost touch the levels of insanity, a skill developed which can never be taken away, a level of consistency that can outperform even the most complex prediction algorithms, there was something definitely special in these great people

Greatness is not about scoring the highest runs in a match or becoming the leader of a country or the one who has made the maximum amount of money. Its about what has history remembered you for, a symbol for the very definition of greatness and someone who can never be replaced

The History of Greats


A Point of No Return to a Point of No looking back
When you look back you would have come across people who went from point of no return to a point of no looking back. With almost nothing to lose, hitting rock bottom and yet unflinchingly kept on going to come to a stage where people have now started positioned someone to a cult status or even a rock star, is a story we’ve often heard

When I remembered all the “great people” I’ve read or seen, these people were at the top of my mind:

“Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Bruce Lee, Lionel Messi, Swami Vivekananda, Abraham Lincoln, Abdul Kalam and Mahatma Gandhi”

People with such tenacious qualities are rare and hard to find. Some may even refer to them as a different breed, a cut above the rest that can rise majestically despite being suppressed, pushed to the ends of the earth.

As rightly said by the famous cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, “Form is Temporary, Class is Permanent”
So what defines greatness in these people? How do they achieve such greatness in a short period of time? What sets them apart from other people to become great? Do they do different things or simply do things differently? Are these qualities they acquired or something they were born with? Yes, life has many unanswered questions indeed!

Source: Dilbert Cartoon


These people are a reminder that greatness can be symbolized in a living form and has the potential to do exceptional things, each time upping the bar set by them.
Almost all of these people had many things in common.

  • They were not born with a silver spoon
  • They didnt have a lineage that could get them easy access and visibility into their respective industries 
  • Their parents weren’t wealthy enough to take them to training classes or provide them with the latest equipments to practice their skills
  • No one really sat down with them to teach the skill or give shortcut methods to become an expert 
  • Despite a million hurdles they were never really bogged down by society, peer pressure or lack of academic scores to achieve what they had in mind
  • All in all their relentless focus , unparalleled skill and a stability for endurance has always made them World No.1 in their respective fields 

Some of the Greatest acts in History for me include : 

Lionel’s Messi classic goal to win the La Liga Title

 

   
Man’s First step on the Moon  

         

     

  • Sachin’s knock against Australia in Sharjah

  • Tata launching the world’s first 1500$ car

My Story : Face to Face with Greatness

There was someone who I had met nearly a decade back. An interesting person (identity anonymous) who had a tremendous skill in music that could have made even top musicians given a run for their money. Unfortunately like every other aspiring artist in the industry, due to several reasons and also lack of opportunities, he could never really succeed.

All his talents were left unappreciated as people never really tried to adapt to his style of music. Music was still limited to filmy bollywood songs and any variations to that were strictly not accepted. It was doomed to be a failure, however good it turned out to be. The piracy in the industry certainly didnt help either to promote his tracks on the legal front  . Everywhere he went he was faced with rejection. Some remarked that either adapt to the existing needs  of the industry or quit

Ordinary people , given two impossible choices would have accepted the reality and joined the bandwagon with others. But for great people, quitting is never really a choice. Its never a question of “Can I do it?”. Rather its just a question of  “When can I do it?” . Success may be delayed but its always theirs to claim

He never really gave up , but rather simply changed his game . With a bit of networking, persistence and skill, he kept opening up the unexplored boundaries of the music industry. The rise of mobile internet certainly helped people to discover his music in so many varieties of channels. He began to create a niche audience who adored his form of music.

He took the digital route and created an interesting website. Its design totally intrigued everyone and began spreading across the net in a viral way. He capitalized on that and launched his keynote concerts in an unconventional way and not through the mainstream way

That’s when he slowly started rising up the ranks and attained a cult status of his own. Promotions and advertising was no longer needed. It was the people who came forward to spread the joy in his music. Media attention, Celebrity status , a luxurious life and fandom came to him so easily almost immediately.

He truly inspired almost everyone who had faith in him and in his music. Rejections or banishment from the industry can mean certain death for most people. For some its just the beginning. Its the cue that tells them to change gears and shake up the whole basic foundation.That’s exactly what he did.
Instead of going around and asking what people liked, he developed something that made change their old mindset and begin appreciating something new and innovative.
He definitely was #madeofgreat.

One lesson I’ve learnt from him is that, despite hitting rock bottom, keep doing what you are good at. Everyone is good at something and better than others. Thats the potential you tap and there’s no looking back for you. As people often comment, its quite lonely at the top and not many aim for it. So if you’ve got it within you, dont aim for anything less than the top place


One such initiative to illustrate such greatness is the #madeofgreat campaign by Tata Motors

You can check out http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com for more details

Kindly post your comments on : “What do you think of Tata Motor’s association with Lionel Messi?”
The best comment will win an Amazon Gift voucher

14 thoughts on “Made of Great

  1. Ok, here I am. I totally agree with you. In our society, greatness is associated with celebrity status and to be honest, anything goes as long as he is a celebrity. Happy to note this person made it big inspite of all the obstacles. Life can be pretty challenging when you are in the first few steps. Certainly an inspiration for those waiting for a break or for things to happen.

    I am so happy to see Dr.Kalam in your list.

    Best
    Katie
    Admin
    http://ChennaiFocus.wordpress.com

  2. Karthik, I read your blog post literally with full enthusiasm as I didn't want to miss on the great inspirational insights on greatness as these are the things from which we can resurrect ourselves and change for the better. The quote of Sunil Gavaskar, "Form is temporary, class is permanent." hit the mind. I too will now strive for class. The musicians saga is really a great one and I do feel myself that this man is worth the #madeofgreat. Really grand post dude. Kudos.

    I see Lionel Messi to have overcome disease "growth hormone defeciency" from childhood, to rise to the level of best player in the world. He is indeed #madeofgreat and his association with Tata motors will do justice with their brand to the full and they will leap in to a new era of heightened glory world wide. Cheers and best wishes.

  3. Great to see this post about greatness.
    Its true that greatness lies in different places and one should really look up to them and identify with their ways of practice

    As far as I'm concerned with Lionel Messi's association with Tata Motors,I think its the perfect match one can come up with . Lionel Messi is an inspiration to millions of people across the world not just through his football skills but his life as a whole. He has won several hearts by just telling his life story .A person who had several disadvantages, no resources, yet rose like a phoenix and considered to be the world's no 1 footballer.
    The same quality applies to Tata Motors as well which has made them one of the world's leading car manufacturers. Not just an ordinary car manufacturer but a respectable , reliable and a company known for its quality and commitment

    Hence the perfect ideal match

  4. Such a wonderful way of describing greatness, Karthik! These great men have made it big by never giving up, holding a spirit that never fails and so did this musician! The world has its ways to appreciate talent, the talent just needs to show up, one way or the other.

    Enjoyed Reading! 🙂

  5. I am still trying to make the difference between point of no return to point of no looking back. Sounds there's a meaningful point out there, but not hitting my head right. Any help please?

    Things that inspired me most about Messi & Tata Motors: Messi had a growth hormone deficiency in his childhood but his passion for football must have been so great that he could outgrew this condition. Tata Indica, Tata’s first passaenger car, initially faced huge criticism. Still, Tata Motors could make it as one of the best selling cars in India! Some stories move us, from within, don't they?! Their association certainly promises something far greater than what we’ve witnessed so far!

  6. Nice read Karthik, 'changed his network' really strikes a cord as that it is often the people around us who deem or doom things for us! Maybe I will have to work on this strategy to get more readers for my content:)
    Congrats on your win!

  7. Nice post Good to read about that talented musician .
    when one door is closed , then the other one opens !!
    answer to the question asked
    Tata Motors is a brand which is one of its kind , Trustworthy and innovative .
    Lionel Messi is a Legend and youth icon , a person who is extra ordinary talented ,energetic , confident & dedicated to his profession .
    So association of Tata motors and Lionel Messi is a Great Thing as both of them does not know tiredness and are committed to their brand value .This collaboration would definitely give an edge to Tata Groups over its competitors as the brand ambassador Messi hold the reputation of not letting down his fans as Tata motors has given the best to the world.
    Tata motors have touched heart of middle class by bringing Tata Nano to market so that a common man can fulfil the dream of owning a car . And Messi is an inspiaration and Idol for many .So this collaboration will definitely strike Gold !!

    My email ID [email protected]

  8. Hi Karthik,
    Indeed a nicely written post. I wish you good luck for the contest
    Here is my answer
    The association of Tata Motors with Lionel Messi is that of two greats. Lionel Messi has been exceptionally talented who with his hard work, determination and sacrifices has got better and tougher in his chosen sport so is the Image, reputation and quality of TATA Motors that have transformed brilliant ideas into masterpieces of engineering and created a brand and products that we are so proud of as Indians. Lionel Messi has transformed his body and the mind body co-ordination into a masterpiece of precision and excellence it would not be wrong to say that Lionel Messi is the TATA Motors of sports where as TATA Motors is the Lionel Messi of vehicles both giants in their own spheres driven by the drive to excel and lead by example. So Lionel Messi is the best choice for becoming the brand Ambassador for TATA Motors
    [email protected]

  9. Your post describes #madeofgreat so well that it has winner written all over it. Good luck for your entry.
    Here is my answer.
    Like minds think and act alike looking at the track record of TATA Motors it has stood the test of time and built a business that was built using bricks of hard work on a foundation of trust. Authenticity, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation are the trademarks of brand TATA Motors. These same qualities are present in Lionel Messi who with his immense talent has made a mark for himself on the international football field .Facing all hardships he has worked hard toiling on the fields and in training sessions facing injuries and pressure to come out trumps and be a winner. Thus these two greats Lionel Messi and TATA Motors are made for each other .There association is a bond of two legends
    In case you pick me a winner my email id is : [email protected]
    Fingers crossed 🙂

  10. This great musician is now a diamond who have came through under a tough procedure of heating and testing of his patience, quality and enthusiasm. Yes, definitely he is the man #madeofgreat.

    My Answer to the question :

    Tata Motors has earned the goodwill from giving the best and innovative Automobiles and it is also known as one the best Automobile Manufactures. And if you see the Lionel Messi , his throughout dedication, zeal , targeted goal of life and technically soundness make him big, achiever and remarkable position in the world.
    As per me, the association of Tata Motors and Messi is a grand amalgamation of two legendary entities of the world, and their amalgamation will definitely break down the clutters and affect the cut throat competition of Tata Motors. Tata motors will sure get a huge preference by the fans of Messi. This will sure make a record of Tata motors in the world of production or may be the highest selling automobiles.
    Tata motor’s main target is to give an impression on the large amount of crowd and this can be achieved only through the Messi, because the youth generation is crazy for MESSI and this can be smart move and a great achievement for Tata Motors they positioned MESSI as their BRAND AMBASSADOR .
    In the nutshell, Tata Motors , Messi joining hands will definitely give more soundness in technicality of promotional strategies and Messi’s influence will influence the audience for choosing Tata Motors and expand the business drastically.

  11. Your post defines #madeofgreat in an awesome manner.Very well written and interesting post indeed.
    My Answer
    Tata Motors is a brand that makes durable vehicles, with its MADE IN INDIA mark makes every Indian proud. It is a brand seen globally as Trusted, Reliable, Innovative and at the forefront of technology. In its journey since inception it has overcome all odds, competition, and adversities with grit and determination. These same qualities are associated with Lionel Messi who was very talented and hardworking from a very early age. With each game that he played he kept improving his skills and built a career to become one of the best player of professional football. There qualities make both TATA Motors and Lionel Messi giants who perfectly compliment each other and Lionel Messi the right and perfect Ambassador who stands for the same values that TATA Motors does.
    [email protected]

  12. Your post defines #madeofgreat to the hilt. Goodluck for the contest
    My answer is:
    Authenticity, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation are the pillars of strength on which TATA have built a brand that has put India on the global map. It is a brand that has stood the test of time just like Lionel Messi who tackles opposition on the field with his skill,agility,strategy,brilliance and raw power to reach and score a goal so has been the track record of TATA motors who has become a brand leader and a global giant. These qualities make TATA Motors and Lionel Messi perfect partners who stand for the same set of values thus Lionel Messi is the perfect brand ambassador to represent TATA Motors.
    Hope my best to be a winner here; do contact me for the prize at [email protected]
    fingers crossed

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